"They were nothing but boats," replied Tucker Prince, when his name was called. "The word ship and bark are used, in a general sense, to mean any kind of a vessel."
"That is entirely correct, Prince.—How many fingers have you, Kidder Digfield?" asked the principal.
"Eight, sir," replied the ex-Topover, with a grin.
"I have ten, and I am apparently more fortunate than you are; but I use the word fingers in a general sense. When you come down to particulars, you say, very properly, that you have eight fingers."
"I don't think thumbs are fingers," added Kidd, when the principal nodded to him.
"All right: you have a perfect right to your own opinion. How many toes have you?"
"Ten."
"But two of them are big toes. Why not say that you have eight toes and two big toes?" added the captain. "Now you know what a ship is, and that the word is used, in a general sense, to mean any kind of vessel. We speak of the ship's company, in general terms, on board of a craft of any size. The ocean and coast steamers are called ships, and some of the former have four masts. A few sailing-ships, like the Great Republic, have been rigged with four masts."
"What do they call the after-mast when there are four?" asked Dick Short.
"The usage differs somewhat: some call it the jigger-mast, and those of more dignity call it the after-mizzen-mast. In a vessel with two masts, the terms are main and mizzen mast. I have shown you a ship and a bark; what is this?" asked the captain, as he displayed another picture.